Side shake rate based on machine throughputs

Abstract

An agricultural harvester has a chassis carrying a header for gathering a crop. The header is removably attached to a feeder housing for feeding the crop into the agricultural harvester to be processed. A threshing and separating system is connected to the feeder housing for separating grain from Material Other than Grain (MOG). A grain cleaning system is connected to the threshing and separating system for further cleaning the separated grain. The grain cleaning system has at least one sieve operable to oscillate fore and aft and a side shaker mechanism operable to produce a side to side shaking motion in the at least one sieve. A control system is connected to the side shaker mechanism and operable to automatically proportionately increase an amount of the side to side shaking motion as a function of an amount and type of crop being processed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An agricultural harvester, comprising:
 a chassis carrying a header for gathering a crop, said header removably attached to a feeder housing for feeding the crop into the agricultural harvester to be processed; 
 a threshing and separating system connected to said feeder housing for separating grain from Material Other than Grain (MOG); 
 a grain cleaning system connected to said threshing and separating system for further cleaning the separated grain; 
 said grain cleaning system having at least one sieve operable to oscillate fore and aft; 
 said grain cleaning system further having a side shaker mechanism operable to produce a side to side shaking motion in said at least one sieve; and 
 a control system connected to said side shaker mechanism and operable to automatically proportionately increase an amount of said side to side shaking motion as a function of an amount and type of crop being processed, wherein said automatic proportionate increase of said amount of said side to side shaking motion is one of linear and non-linear. 
 
     
     
       2. The agricultural harvester of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said control system being operable to further automatically adjust said amount of side to side shaking motion on the basis of an amount of side slope upon which the agricultural harvester is situated. 
 
     
     
       3. The agricultural harvester of  claim 1 , wherein:
 configurable parameters of said automatic proportionate increase of said amount of said side to side shaking motion are entered by an operator using a combine monitor connected to said control system. 
 
     
     
       4. The agricultural harvester of  claim 3 , wherein:
 said configurable parameters include at least one of:
 a minimum amount of said side to side shaking motion; 
 a maximum amount of said side to side shaking motion; 
 an amount of crop being processed at which said amount of side to side shaking motion begins to increase; 
 an amount of crop being processed at which said amount of side to side shaking motion stops increasing; and 
 a proportion between the amount of crop being processed and said amount of side to side shaking. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The agricultural harvester of  claim 1 , wherein:
 selection is made by an operator between sets of predefined parameters of said automatic proportionate increase of said amount of said side to side shaking motion using a simplified input. 
 
     
     
       6. A control system for an agricultural harvester having a chassis carrying a header for gathering a crop, the header removably attached to a feeder housing for feeding the crop into the agricultural harvester, a threshing and separating system connected to the feeder housing for separating grain from Material Other than Grain (MOG), a grain cleaning system connected to the threshing and separating system for further cleaning the separated grain, the grain cleaning system having at least one sieve operable to oscillate fore and aft, the grain cleaning system further having a side shaker mechanism operable to produce a side to side shaking motion in the at least one sieve, 
       wherein:
 said control system is connected to the side shaker mechanism and operable to automatically proportionately increase an amount of said side to side shaking motion as a function of an amount and type of crop being processed, wherein said automatic proportionate increase of said amount of said side to side shaking motion is one of linear and non-linear. 
 
     
     
       7. The control system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 said control system being operable to further automatically adjust said amount of side to side shaking motion on the basis of an amount of side slope upon which the agricultural harvester is situated. 
 
     
     
       8. The control system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 configurable parameters of said automatic proportionate increase of said amount of said side to side shaking motion are entered by an operator using a combine monitor connected to said control system. 
 
     
     
       9. The control system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 said configurable parameters include at least one of: 
 a minimum amount of said side to side shaking motion; 
 a maximum amount of said side to side shaking motion; 
 an amount of crop being processed at which said amount of side to side shaking motion begins to increase; 
 an amount of crop being processed at which said amount of side to side shaking motion stops increasing; and 
 a proportion between the amount of crop being processed and said amount of side to side shaking. 
 
     
     
       10. The control system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 selection is made by an operator between sets of predefined parameters of said automatic proportionate increase of said amount of said side to side shaking motion using a simplified input. 
 
     
     
       11. A method of controlling an agricultural harvester having a chassis carrying a header for gathering a crop, the header removably attached to a feeder housing for feeding the crop into the agricultural harvester, a threshing and separating system connected to the feeder housing for separating grain from Material Other than Grain (MOG), a grain cleaning system connected to the threshing and separating system for further cleaning the separated grain, the grain cleaning system having at least one sieve being operable to oscillate fore and aft, the grain cleaning system further having a side shaker mechanism operable to produce a side to side shaking motion in the at least one sieve, including the steps of:
 providing a control system connected to the side shaker mechanism; and 
 automatically proportionately increasing an amount of said side to side shaking motion as a function of an amount and type of crop being processed, wherein said automatic proportionate increase of said amount of said side to side shaking motion is one of linear and non-linear. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 further automatically adjusting said amount of side to side shaking motion on the basis of an amount of side slope upon which the agricultural harvester is situated. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the steps of:
 allowing an operator to enter configurable parameters of said automatic proportionate increase of said amount of said side to side shaking motion using a combine monitor connected to said control system. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 allowing an operator to select between sets of predefined parameters of said automatic proportionate increase of said amount of said side to side shaking motion using a simplified input.